memories

On memory & forgetting, via Cave, Kundera & Nietszche

When we’re young, we worry and wonder about how life will turn out.

Will it get easier, does it get better, will it become clear who we’re supposed to be and will we be able to find the right way there?

We know nothing of consequence. The future is all anticipation and expectation.

Memories and the value of narrative truth

Memories are the defining feature of human identity.  They underlie the decisions that help determine our future, they colour our reflections on the past, and they characterise our life stories.  But our headspace is notoriously fluid, susceptible to damage, change and loss.   The stories that we weave together from what we can recall, while an inimitable gateway into our personalities, are not entirely true.